Sweet and spicy pear chutney is probably not one that instantly comes to mind, but it’s definitely worth making. Chunks of juicy fresh California Bartlett pears, dates as a natural sweetener, a touch of ginger, tangy-sweet orange juice and the combination of aromatic spices make this chutney simply fabulous. It’s excellent served alongside appetisers like samosas or other nibbles, and a simple way to brighten up any meal by adding a dollop or so to your veggie burgers and wraps.
This post is sponsored by California Pears. For full disclosure, please read below at the end of the post.
CaliforniaBartlett pears are the ideal choice of pearsfor this chutney. They are availablefor several weeks in Julyand August in Canada.
Bartletts have awonderful texture with such a delicate fragrance. For snacking and insalads, I love them semi-ripe; they are crunchy and juicy – anexcellent thirst-quenching Summer snack. When they are fully ripe,they are among the sweetest and juiciest of all pears; they areperfect for various dessert recipes.
On the nutrient profile, pears are packed with antioxidants, and are a good source of fibre, and a source of Vitamin C, potassium and folic acid. If you’re like me and love to read about the nutrient profile of food stuffs, then check out the California Pears website for more nutrition information.
If you care about what goes into your food, it’s quite awesome tolearn that these pears are grown on small family farms, which employnatural methods for pest control as well as reduce the use offertilizers.
How to selectCalifornia Bartletts
Look for firm,well-shaped fruit. You’ll most probably find semi-ripe Bartletts atthe stores. When the pears are at their peak ripeness, they aregolden yellow. You know the Bartletts are fully ripe when they giveslightly upon gentle pressure around the stem.
For this particularrecipe, I suggest using a mix of semi-ripe and ripe pears. The ripeones will melt into the sauce while the semi-ripe pears will stayfirm and crunchy — an interesting texture combination for thischutney.
Howto store Bartlett pears
When CaliforniaBartletts are green and firm,they will take four to six days toripen on their own. Leave them in a bowl on the counter until theyare almost golden yellow. This is the ideal stage for this recipe. Ifthey are overripe, they will just melt into a sauce.
If they are ripeningfaster than you can eat or cook them, just refrigerate them topreserve or slow down their ripening process.
Spiced Pear Chutney
Likemost chutney recipes, this Spiced Pear Chutney is very forgiving. Youcan play around with the ingredients and tweak it to your liking –sweeter, spicier or tangier. The chutney is naturally sweetened withdates which is great if you are trying to reduce sugar in your diet.Youcan also swap in raisins for the dates. If you’d like to preservethe chutney for longer though, you’ll need to add at least 150g or3/4 cup of sugar.
Orangejuice adds in a lot of complex flavours which I love. With the orangejuice alone (and no added sugar), the chutney will last for about 3weeks in the refrigerator. For longer shelf life, as well as addingsugar, replace half or all of the orange juice with vinegar.
Thispear chutney is really easy to make and great to give away as ediblegifts too. Serve it alongside appetiserslike samosas or other nibbles. It’s also a simple way to complementany meal that requires a sweet-sour-spicy accompaniment. Add a dollopor so to your veggie burgers and wraps. I’ve been having it on myvegan grilled cheese sandwiches – so delish!
To make Pear Chutney:
Startby pittingthe dates, and then place them to soak in the hot water until theyare soft and easy to mash. Once softened, mash or mince the dates,and save the soaking water. Alternatively, you may blend the datestogether with the water.
Heatthe oil over medium-high in a medium stock pot or thick bottomsaucepan. Saute the whole cumin, ginger and red chillifor about 30 seconds. Add the onion seeds and saute for about 10 moreseconds.
Then,add the diced pears, date paste and soaking water, ground coriander,cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, salt, and orange juice; stir tocombine.
Bringit to a rapid boil and reduce to medium or low-medium. Simmerpartially covered for about 30 – 45 minutes or until the sauce hasreduced to desired consistency. Remove from heat and allow thechutney to cool slightly.
Ifyou prefer a smoother chutney or smaller chunks, use a potato masherto mash the mixture to the desired consistency.
Fillinto jars while still quite hot. Place the lid on and tighten. Letcool completely before refrigerating.
Becauseof the low sugar and acidity, this chutney will only keep for at most3 weeks in the fridge, in a sealed jar. Make sure to always use aclean utensil to remove and serve the chutney. To keep this chutneyfor several months, keep it in the freezer.
Try these other recipes using California Bartlett pears:
Beetroot Relish (with pears)
Pear Chocolate Cake
Pear Custard Pie
Pear Upside Down Cake
Love this sweet-spicy chutney recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later.
Yield: 2x 400-ml jars
Spiced Pear Chutney Recipe
Sweet and spicy pear chutney naturally sweetened with dates and tangy-sweet orange juice, with a touch of ginger and aromatic spices—this chutney is simply fabulous. It’s excellent served alongside
appetisers, or brighten up any meal by adding a dollop or so to your veggie burgers and wraps.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Ingredients
- 7 - 8 medjool dates, more for sweeter
- 200 ml hot water, [¾ cup]
- 2 teaspoons cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon whole cumin
- 1 thumb size fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
- 1 dried red chilli, or ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 2 teaspoons whole onion seeds (nigella seeds)
- 6 - 7 California Bartlett Pears, peeled and diced
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 star anise
- 200 ml fresh orange juice, [¾ cup]
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Juice from ½ lime
Instructions
- Pit the dates and place them to soak in the hot water until they are soft and easy to mash. Once softened, mash or mince the dates, and save the soaking water. Alternatively, you may blend the dates together with the water.
- Heat the oil over medium-high in a medium stock pot or thick bottom saucepan. Saute the whole cumin, ginger and red chilli for about 30 seconds. Add the onion seeds and saute for about 10 more seconds.
- Then, add the diced pears, date paste, the ground coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, orange juice and salt; stir to combine.
- Bring it to a rapid boil and reduce to medium or low-medium. Simmer uncovered for about 30 - 45 minutes or until the sauce has reduced to desired consistency. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- If you prefer a smoother chutney or smaller chunks, use a potato masher to mash the mixture to the desired consistency.
- Fill into jars while still quite hot. Place the lid on and tighten. Let
cool completely before refrigerating.
Notes
Because of the low sugar and acidity, this chutney will only keep for at most
3 weeks in the fridge, in a sealed jar. Make sure to always use a
clean utensil to remove the serve the chutney. To keep this chutney
for several months, keep it in the freezer.
To make the chutney shelf-stable, add in at least 150 g [3/4 cup] sugar
and replace half or all of the orange juice with vinegar (white or
apple cider vinegar).
Link to Spiced Pear Chutney Recipe - https://veganlovlie.com/spiced-pear-chutney-recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
40 heaped tablespoonsServing Size:
2 heaped tablespoons
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 68Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 30mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g
Full disclosure: This post is sponsored by California Pears. We only endorse products and services that we like, enjoy, use and that we believe, based on our experience, are worthy of such endorsem*nt. We value the trust of our readers and subscribers. We believe in honesty of relationship and opinion. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are 100% ours.
